Operating slide and handle for machine guns



W. T. GORTO'N OPERATING SLIDE AND HANDLE FOR MACHINE GUNS Filed July 12.1922 5 Sheets- Sheet l a N 4 1 Q I I VINVENITOR "filter Z'GorionATTORNEY W. T. GORTON OPERATING SLIDE] AND HANDLE FOB. MACHINE GUNS July3, 1923.

1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 12 INVENIOR Walter T'qrfionl By fl//Z%MATTORNEY July 3. 1923.

W. T. GORTON OPERATING SLIDE AND HANDLE FOR MACHINE GUNS Filed July 121922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR PVaZl er TGarton ATTORNEY Patented July3, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT '0, FFilCE.

WALTER T. GOBTON, OF THE UNITED STATES-ARMY.

1 OPERATING SLIDE AND HANDLE FOR MACHINE GUNS,

1' I Applieetionfiled I'uly 12, 1922. Serial No. 574,555.

(EFILED UNDER THE ACT or MARCH 3,, was, 22 sru. L., 625.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WA TER T. GonroN, captain Ordnance Department,United States Army, a citizen of the United States, stationed atSpringfield Armory, Spr1ngfield, Massl, have invented an Improvement inOperating Slides and Handles for Ma chine Guns, of which the followingis a specification.

'Theinvention described herein may be usedby the Government, or any ofits offibers or employees in prosecution of work movemen o it w rking:Pe t 1 3 31. are

i q'pllete et ia lie e My inventlon isdqisig'nedtO prov de means wheeby, w he y le .Q, T eheihandi, the gun may be properly goperate'd, andfunct eiiefl-t h t se and twee s-fi teen yhTHt lsi i$ Q$J e? n e ma ma;and combination oftparts and in the details i marten i here v2 ?edi ent1 li nr e r =il1 1s reted n h I aee' m'pehy ng draws view-t e side ie'eshe r ng; the e e taehed, q t e slidea i lheh le; idefiee edm i'gtfiia Xan .R QQiQ eY-WQ f a medifie d item: 0i; the glide ,=-l1an'dle, showingthe same attache to a. machine gun and Fig. 4 is a plan view of thesame.

A side plate of the machine gun is indireadi y mani u ate than e, feleyatien e f the cated by the numeral 10,-f0rmed with the usuallongitudinally extending slot 11in which the operating handlec fstud 12of the bolt reciprocates as the'bfolt is ill'lQYBd back and forth in theoperation of the Secured to the side plate rearwardly of the slot,conveniently by rivets, is aguide bar 13 which may beformed with aforwardly projecting restl affording a great er bearing surface, and atthe rearend of the plate is likewise secured a second guide bar 15having a cut-out portion 16 eXtehding below the surface 0'1": therearwardly extending rest 17. An armpr lug 18 pro: jects rearwardlyfromthe upper end of the guide 15 and has an aperture for the 'rece p- 7Otion of a plunger 19, urged downwardly conveniently by coil spring 20.

.M ted r-s idingev' ht in t guides is ia slidebarvzllcufiawayl fora dis;

tance ;a dj'acen t,its iorward end to provide a hook 22 whichengagesithe forward side of the stud 12, and to provide clearance forthe stud] The lowenedge'offthe slide bar provided with spaced apartnotches23 and 2 4 of sufficient length to engage overflthe e t 1 i e pu'gp-e he heft iie t'ff -ith, butpornially pQSitlQ Il cl out engagementwith such re t, .Arifvetpr pin 25 'is secured inuthehar 21 in positionto liliifinally contact the rear lace; of im t .theli w dfg i me f. thehe a The a n o the hefli pretei ye gularly disposed, ,as, at '26toifffbrm', handle thro'u h 'ineans 10f which,. the maybe how inFigeJ3,e idA-the1e eaten hf the";

ba i ie e' tlivl e ame ee e. an em:

herelnaheve} describe d structure slightly 'difi'er nt in that the glee.in-

which thevbreech bolt han, is nearerthe rea1;ward' en d of thesid'e'plate 10 9 hem-he le j, in, h S stan e, i sir' i -hee be we n, the {gu eb re, .137, en "1.1 151" eepe hrely en 'tbe eiguidei efi'ek e bee'flnied fied by eliminating t e efit he er -fd guide her ndq her rmdlyv tn' g-P tie hemfihe arsei e e -h T eI h e h te lii si-efi .eliehtlyidifir t e mhe in fi w e e a a e?? 5' c1 r9 1} Jill. le W91? 3 g if- ,1 being pr dvidedwitl i 'a'dii hhlilg iing er fi" adapted to engage the rearface of the forward guide bar to limit the forward movedie 12 operates95 ment 0,1}; the slige gn d to contact tile-forward surface" ofthesti'id 12 to draw the'same rearwardly when required. This slide bar21 is likewise rovded .w itlrspaced. apart notches 23 an" 24 Whichare'adap ted to receive the loweredge ofgtheguidebar 15,. When this baris to be removed from one side of the gun and placed upon the oppositeside the fin er 22 is detached by removing the screws or pinsWhi'chhold' it in place, the bar Withdrawn from the guides and insertedin'the" uides on the opposite side plateoftlie' and the finger replacedin position onthe opposite side of 'the slide.

the normal automatico'peration of the gun 'th'e handle and slide staysin the forwa d position as" shown in Figs. 1 and 3,

in rvhihposition the 'bolt handle or stud 12 or 12"operates freely inthe rear of the hb'okQiZ or'finger 22'. If it is desired to openthe'breech mechanism of the gun the hand1e"an,d slide is pulled straight tothe 1-eer,'and may be locked in its rearmo'st positio'n 'by slightdownward, pressure whieh causes engagement in one instance of the lug17"b1f the rear guide in the recess 23 of the slide and "in the otherin-' stance the lower "edgeof the rear guide 15 in therecess oftheslide. Thisloc ks the bo' lit in its fullyffreeoiled. positron whichisfrequently o f co nsider'able assistance in r ducti n: sewa e- "T r iss't ad i its fetrdcted position by the action:'ofr thes pringjrem'ed'plungef'19 or 191 'iyhieliie ngages its upper'tsur'faee and retainsit "i-its pressed down position. 01,1. ptei flg'i j'd we e bi l a n th llr'ii d idr'wdrdl j byjh'e bolt under the f warideseith as riot-ch Q vof? lQfas the me"- be, n'tl'ie slide is; e gitfidfbyf th mg 17' ei werportion Cre s 'd f t e leovsmeet he a e w. W tr-idg'e is taken from thebelt, and he live round, which had been previously partially inserted inthe chamber is extr zngted and guides secured to the side of 'th'gun, 'alug formed on one of said guides, said slide reciprocable the guides, ahook at thefor- Ward end of. the slide normally eng'a ging'the forwardsurface of the stud, said slide provided with spaced apart notohes i'nits lower edge :ul'a pted'to engage over the lug and positioned to lookit in its rearmost posit on or in a position just prior to gripping of acartridge in the cartridge 'belt by the extraetonof the gun means forlimiting the forwar'chmove'ment o'f-the slide; means for holding theslide either in sitioi'i 'or i'n pofsitidn viithithe n' othes iiiengagement- \h l tli th lug and a handle formed on the slide] I wit elm

